Beautiful Romance
by Maeve Morgan
Summary: Three simple words uttered in the final stages of a celebration lead to an interesting conversation that may set right a relationship based in unresolved issues for several years. Oneshot Post HBP. WAFF, sort of


A.N.: This was written under the heavy influence of a broken heart and personal experience, and to the sound of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful".

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter books belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. The use of its characters, locations, and universe in general in this story is a lend that has no personal profit other than the satisfaction of writing something merely as a hobby.

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Beautiful Romance**

The lights of the fairies glowed all over the backyard of the Burrow, and soft music came wafting through the air from the wireless. Bill and Fleur's wedding celebration had been a success, a much-needed beacon of light in this darkest hour the wizarding world was going through. The only guests left now as the sun had completely set were relatives and close friends to the family.

The couple in question was holding each other's arms in the center of the dance-floor, swinging back and forth to the rhythm of the music. A few other couples were also dancing, Remus and Tonks included. It was the most peaceful scenery. At least it would have been, had not a red blur just dashed away with an angry Angelina Johnson in his heels yelling, "Fred, get back here right now!"

Hermione looked up from the chair she was sitting at the sound of laughter, and her eyes found the amused ones of the youngest Weasley man of the family. "What did your brother do now?" She questioned, as he came to lean against the table behind her.

"I'm not sure," Ron replied. "But I'd be ready to bet it has something to do with that new product he and George were talking about earlier."

"Poor Angelina," she said, slowly shaking her head, though a small smile still adorned her features.

The duo remained in silence for a few more minutes, until Hermione decided to break it. "Where's Harry?" She chose to say, looking up at him.

"I think he's talking to Ginny in the kitchen," he responded, eyes far away in the dance-floor.

"Oh," she said, once more lapsing into silence.

"Want to dance?"

The casually thrown offer startled her. She blinked, and looked up to face him. Hermione could sense just how nervous he was after saying three so simple words, and couldn't help but smile inwardly. She simply stood and without a word took his hand in hers as they walked side by side to the dance-floor.

At first, it was a little awkward to be in each other's arms. They were tense and only looking to follow the rhythm of the song. As the moments passed though, they relaxed and it felt like comforting each other. Ron's right hand found its way to the thick curls of her hair and there it stayed, stroking it gently. Hermione leaned her head against his chest with a heavy sigh just as her left arm travelled down his back and laced itself around his waist, almost as of its own mind.

His left hand shaking slightly, he raised her other hand that he still held in his and snuggled it close to his chest, next to her face. Slowly, her eyes rose to meet his just as he tipped his head down, his nose just brushing next to hers. There was a moment of hesitation, and then his lips found hers.

It was the sweetest, kindest and most innocent of kisses, like the touch of a feather. It lasted merely seconds, though for both it felt like a lot longer. He pulled back slightly and looked deeply into her eyes. Smiling, he dipped his head once more and this time ferociously captured her lips to his.

Finally, something felt right for Hermione. This was comfortable and familiar, even though neither had experienced it with each other. This is how it always should have been: simple, plain, effortless. However, she knew that with them things were never that easy. She knew she'd regret it later, but she broke the kiss anyway.

"Ron," she said, quite breathless, as she closed her eyes and slightly pushed him away. "Can we… Can we go somewhere and talk?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You want to talk?" He questioned, quite sceptical before her request. "Now?"

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath in. "Now. Please?" She looked up deep into his eyes. "I promise I won't yell at you or anything."

The corners of his mouth turned up in a lopsided smile. "You'd better not," he whispered. They stood there awkwardly for a moment longer, and then he led her inside the house. They crossed it, and Ron opened the front door to the porch, where they could just hear the music and laughter of the fairies coming from the party in the backyard.

"All right," he said, sitting down on the bench, and looking up at her. "What do you want to talk about?" He asked, quite nervously.

"Us," she replied immediately. She noticed he gulped loudly, and smiled gently. "I just really need to know what's going to happen now, Ron. I'm sorry, but you know me. I won't rest until we talk this out, and I'd rather we don't have any unresolved issues unlike last year, because things are about to get different."

"Yeah, I know," he said, looking down at the wooden floor with a hint of a smile.

"And I don't mean just with us," she said, coming to sit next to him. "We won't be going back to Hogwarts. We're going to look for the Horcruxes, and we can't depend on anyone but ourselves. If we were to fight with each other, we'd accomplish nothing. And Harry needs us."

"Alright," he sighed heavily, and turned his head to look at her. "What do you want to know?"

"I need to know if this is what you want," she said calm and levelly. As he was about to respond, she held up a hand and said, "Please let me finish. You and I…" She trailed off, looking at the sky. Sighing deeply, she continued. "Things have always been rather turbulent when it came to us. For some reason, our relationship was always a hard one, even from the beginning. We have a terrible communication, and there are times the only way we know how to interact is through our fights. And quite frankly, it is maddening!"

"Especially for Harry," Ron chuckled slightly.

"Not just for Harry," Hermione whispered. "For me, it's like… I can't describe it. There are times all I want to do is hurt you, and it scares me. It's like someone else, someone I don't know and I can't trust. I don't ever want to feel like that again, and this feeling only comes associated with you."

"I know," the redhead sighed heavily. "I feel like that too, sometimes… And I hate it, Hermione. It's just that you make me mad, and I can't help it. Insults and anything hurtful come flying out of my mouth when I least expect. And, believe me, it's the last thing I'd ever want to bring you, more pain, but… It's the way it goes."

He looked up and saw she was nodding her head slowly, staring intently at the floor just as he had moments before. "I can handle the insults, I'm used to it," she said, after a few more moments. "Or at least I thought I was. Though adding up the words and the actions… It's truly hurtful." She paused, and he remained watching her face as she turned to him. "Last year, after the Quidditch match, when I saw you with Lavender…"

"Now, Hermione…" He started to say defensively, putting up his hands in the air. Whatever he was about to say went flying out of his mind as he heard her next words.

"I was heartbroken," she said softly, holding his gaze firmly. "I never thought anything could hurt that much. It wasn't like a curse that hits you and your nervous system immediately recognizes it. I felt like walking around in a haze, and only when Harry found me in that classroom did I truly understand what had happened. And when you came in with her, I just… I lost it. I wanted you to feel what I was feeling, and so I sent those birds after you…"

"I understand whatever reasons you had," he said, his voice growing stronger as he continued. "But you hurt me too, Hermione. You know how insecure I am with all that Quidditch stuff, and to think that you didn't have confidence in me, it was like--"

"I know," she whispered, closing her eyes forcefully. "I'm not saying it's your fault or anything. We both brought this onto ourselves, with everything that went unsaid through all these years."

As though to illustrate what she had just said, both of them felt at a loss for words right then. The moment lapsed into a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. They were simply thinking about what the other had said.

"The bottom line is," she said, after taking a deep breath in. "I want to be with you, I really do. But I need to know you'll be there for me. This can't carry on," she gestured between the two of them, "us, it won't work unless we can stop fighting and figure out all there is to be solved."

He nodded his head and was about to reply something on the matter when she continued. "I wouldn't bear if you went to Lavender or some other girl every time we had a fight."

"That's what you think I'd do?" He said, hurt and anger transpiring in his voice. Ron couldn't help but get upset with what she just said. It was so much that he felt the need to stand up.

"What should I think?" She whispered, looking up at him.

"Well, you certainly didn't take much time to ask McBastard out too, once you saw me with Lavender," he retorted heatedly.

"Yes, and you were jealous over the fact that Viktor kissed me in the Yule Ball over two years ago," she said, closing her eyes and feeling her vein pulsing in her forehead. "You see? This is what our last fights have proved me. Both you and I are prone to the use of others to get back at each other."

"Yeah," he said, frowning deeply though no longer upset. He sat down next to her once more, and took her hands in his. "Listen… then let's not do this anymore, all right? No more fights over stupid things, no more getting back at each other, and certainly no more kissing other people."

"Ron, it's not that simple…" She said, with a tired smile.

"Sure it is," he said, and she turned to see he was very serious. "Everything else is complicated, the Order, the War, even Harry and Ginny." He paused. "They have reasons not to be together. Theirs is a complicated relationship. Ours doesn't have to be. Not anymore."

She adverted her eyes to the floor once more. "Come on, Hermione," he said. "You know what I'm saying is true. This is the oldest and most common thing in the world since the start of the days. People make it too complicated. Only we can screw this up."

"Exactly," she said, and this time she was the one to stand up. "But I'm not sure… I'm not sure we can do it. Especially now."

As she started to walk away, turning to go back inside the house, he felt an urge to make her stay. He instinctively knew that if he let her go now, they would never have another chance. It was a rather overdramatic thought, but his senses were in overdrive. Reaching out gently, Ron pulled her arm so she wouldn't walk away from him.

"Hermione, listen to me," he said, a desperate note in his voice. "We're at war now, and God only knows what is going to happen. I plead every day that you, Harry and I get out unscathed from all this, as unlikely as it is. But the truth is… we might not.

"And I need you. Now. I've always had. And I always will. I think you're beautiful, inside and out. I was stupid to take you for granted and to nearly let you slip by, but the last events have only brought me to my senses and it came to me, something I always knew. And now I think it's what you so need to hear.

"I love you."

He waited a split second before he held her tight and kissed her once more, his hand weaving its way through her thick hair. He felt her resist for one moment, then she too snaked her arms around his neck and held him for dear life. They deepened the kiss, and remained as though for several more minutes, only stopping when both felt the need for fresh air.

"So," she said, smiling against his lips. "No more stupid things for us, huh?"

"No, ma'am," he said, grinning down at her. He was about to kiss her again, when a sudden commotion stopped them.

"I swear you Weasleys are all dim-witted gits!" A still infuriated Angelina Johnson bypassed them, crossing the porch and walking straight into the house.

"Angelina, wait! Really, I'm sorry!" Fred shot right after her, nearly knocking the couple down in course. He did a small double take and put his head out the door as he saw they were holding each other. "Everything okay here?" He questioned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"We're fine," Ron replied through gritted teeth. He was not in the mood to deal with Gred or Forge right now.

"I think Angelina went that way," Hermione said with a smirk, pointing inside the house towards the backyard.

"Yes, yes," one-half of the infamous Weasley twins said, sighing. "Hey, I don't suppose you two would like to help me out with this one, heh?"

"Nope," Ron replied. "I just solved my own problems. You're on your own."

"Damn," Fred muttered. "Oy! Angelina!" He shouted, rapidly crossing the interior of the house.

They laughed as they saw him chasing after the irate girl into the party that was still taking place in the back of the house.

"I suppose we should get back too," Hermione said, tugging his hand as she got back inside the house.

"I suppose," he sighed heavily, but complied nonetheless.

"Well, I don't think you Weasleys are all dim-witted gits," she said. "At least not all the time. Every once in a while you do something right."

"Haha. Thanks," Ron replied. "But I think Angelina was specifically referring to the twins. Or Fred at least."

"You're probably right," she laughed. "Oh, and Ron," she said, leaning close to his ear as she whispered. "I love you too."

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A.N.: Gah! Did I really write this? But it's so sweet it could cause a cavity! Oh honestly! Where did this all come from? I must stop thinking about my pathetic love life and truly should stop associating it to fiction…

Amazingly as it is, this is my first romantic fluffy piece, and it was a Ron/Hermione, a couple I used to despise only a couple of months ago. I'm not even sure how I got to write this down, as I strongly disliked both their behaviour in HBP, but I guess this is my way to make it up, somehow. Nevertheless, please let me know your opinion!


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